Although it's still relatively early in the 2026 NFL offseason, most of the biggest activities surrounding the National Football League that we'll see this year have already happened. The 2026 NFL Draft will certainly offer some surprises of its own, but right now we're looking back at some of the biggest shocking moves made so far.
Let's take a look at our list of the worst NFL offseason moves so far in 2026.
indianapolis colts extension daniel jones
Placing the transition tag ($37.833 million) on quarterback Daniel Jones instead of the franchise tag ($43.895 million) was a smart move by the Indianapolis Colts. Jones is just a few months removed from surgery to repair a torn Achilles, and in a market where Kyler Murray (on a veteran's minimum deal) and Malik Willis were available, quarterback-needy teams were basically going to overlook Jones on the open market. Indianapolis took a position of leverage and caved in, signing Jones to a two-year contract worth $88 million, which includes $50 million guaranteed at signing. This is a dual-threat quarterback whose game depends largely on his athleticism – which may never be the same after this injury. Let's also keep in mind that he had a 6-5 TD-INT ratio, 84.2 passer rating and 1-4 record in his final five games of the 2025 season. Instead, a general manager in the hot seat was allowed to put even more money and proverbial chips on bad bets.
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The Cleveland Browns wildly overpaid Zion Johnson
This happens when you need to bring in a whole new offensive line in an offseason and you spend as much time as possible. The Cleveland Browns gave the largest annual average value ($16.5 million) to a guard in NFL free agency, signing Zion Johnson to a three-year deal with $32.39 million guaranteed upon signing. Except Johnson wasn't the best defender on the open market. David Edwards, Elijah Vera-Tucker and Isaac Seumalo are all much-improved players and were the last two players signed after Cleveland reached a deal with Johnson. What is Cleveland getting in return for its $49.5 million investment? One of the worst starters on the Los Angeles Chargers offensive line over the past two seasons, a guard who is well below average in pass protection. What's strange is that this deal is the second-worst contract given to an offensive lineman this offseason, which is the deal the Browns signed Elgton Jenkins to.
RELATED: Early winners, losers from the first week of NFL free agency
Las Vegas Raiders sign Kwati Pay
First of all, we can no longer ignore the added context of Max Crosby returning to the Las Vegas Raiders after the Baltimore Ravens backed out of the trade. Las Vegas is now paying two edge rushers averaging $51 million per season: one who may have some long-term concerns about his surgically repaired knee, and the other who is coming off an age-27 season where he tallied just 4 sacks in 721 defensive snaps. Crosby is still an All-Pro when healthy, but Drinks is actually more of a run defender who moves past the tackles a bit when attempting to rush the passer. The contract he got, $48 million over three years, looks even worse now that Crosby's contract is back on the books.
READ MORE: Fantasy football winners, losers from NFL free agency
Dallas Cowboys give up fourth down for Rashaan Gary
Did the entire Dallas Cowboys front office go on a company retreat without access to the outside world a week ago? Rashaan Gary made it clear with his farewell post on social media that he will be released by the Green Bay Packers; Everyone around the league knew it was coming. Instead of waiting, Jerry Jones traded a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to the Packers to get Gary off the team's hands. As AcmePackingCompany.com's Justice Mosqueda detailed in late December, Gary was the least productive starting edge rusher in the NFL last season. He was a non-factor following Micah Parsons' injury, and had minimal appearances in the weeks before Parsons suffered an ACL tear. Dallas burned a fourth-round pick on an overrated pass rusher it could have signed.
Read more: The worst contracts from the first day of NFL free agency
Los Angeles Rams proved too aggressive on Trent McDuffie
We understand the Los Angeles Rams are doing everything they can, which means Les Snead is doing everything he can to try to win a second Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford next season. It also became clear the moment Los Angeles traded the 29th overall pick and a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft that a contract extension was coming for Trent McDuffie. Problem? This gave McDuffie's camp all the leverage in negotiations and was used to execute a deal that makes him the highest-paid corner in NFL history ($31 million AAV). Except, McDuffie isn't in that upper echelon of corners. He has historically struggled against big-bodied wide receivers and is coming off a career-worst season, allowing a 95.5 passer rating in coverage. That's why the Kansas City Chiefs were willing to move on from him. Over time, we believe the Rams will realize they were too aggressive with this move.
